87R3492 JRJ-F
By: Seliger S.B. No. 1447
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the rural veterinarian incentive program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter G, and a heading is added to that subchapter to read as
follows:
SUBCHAPTER G. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM
SECTION 2. Sections 88.621, 88.622, 88.623, 88.624, 88.625,
and 88.626, Education Code, are transferred to Subchapter G,
Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, redesignated as
Sections 56.101, 56.102, 56.103, 56.104, 56.105, and 56.106,
Education Code, and amended to read as follows:
Sec. 56.101 [88.621]. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Account" means the rural veterinarian incentive
program account.
(2) "College" means a college of veterinary medicine
located in this state and accredited by the American Veterinary
Medical Association Council on Education [The Texas A&M University
College of Veterinary Medicine].
(3) [(2)] "Committee" means the rural veterinarian
incentive program committee.
(4) [(3)] "Eligible participant" means a person
eligible to participate in the program under Section 56.104
[88.624].
[(4) "Fund" means the rural veterinarian incentive
fund.]
(5) "General academic teaching institution" has the
meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
(6) "Program" means the rural veterinarian incentive
program established by this subchapter.
(7) [(6)] "Rural county" means a county in this state
with a population of less than 100,000 [50,000].
(8) [(7)] "University system" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003 [means Texas A&M University].
Sec. 56.102 [88.622]. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. The Texas
Animal Health Commission [university] shall administer the program
in accordance with the rules adopted by the committee.
Sec. 56.103 [88.623]. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM
COMMITTEE; RULES. (a) The rural veterinarian incentive program
committee consists of:
(1) the executive director of the Texas Animal Health
Commission, or the executive director's designee;
(2) the executive director of the State Board of
Veterinary Medical Examiners, or the executive director's
designee;
(3) the dean of each accredited [the] college of
veterinary medicine located in this state, or the dean's designee;
(4) a veterinarian with a mixed animal practice,
representing each university system located in Texas with an
accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board
of regents of each university system [The Texas A&M University
System]; [and]
(5) a veterinarian with a large animal practice,
representing each university system located in Texas with an
accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board
of regents of each university system; and
(6) a practitioner of veterinary medicine who serves
as a commissioner of the Texas Animal Health Commission, appointed
by the chair of the Texas Animal Health Commission [The Texas A&M
University System].
(b) The executive director of the Texas Animal Health
Commission [dean of the college] serves as the presiding officer of
the committee.
(c) An appointed member of the committee serves a term of
two years.
(d) The committee shall adopt rules:
(1) establishing criteria to determine whether a
person is an eligible participant as the committee considers
reasonable, including the person's:
(A) background and interest in rural practice
[minimum grade point average]; and
(B) financial need;
(2) providing for requesting the distribution of money
from the account [fund] for the program;
(3) establishing the criteria necessary for a
community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as a
student sponsor under Section 56.105 [88.625];
(4) governing agreements of financial support between
a rural sponsor and an eligible student; and
(5) establishing other procedures necessary to
administer the program.
(e) In adopting rules under this section related to the
selection, submission, or certification of areas identified as
having a veterinary shortage for the purpose of this subchapter,
the committee shall consider any applicable regulations adopted
under 7 U.S.C. Section 3151a and previous work of the Texas Animal
Health Commission.
Sec. 56.104 [88.624]. ELIGIBLE VETERINARY STUDENT OR
GRADUATE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a [A] person
is eligible to participate in the program only if the person:
(1) is enrolled as a student of the college or applies
to participate in the program on or before the fourth [first]
anniversary of the date the person graduates from the college;
(2) will receive or has received from a student loan at
least 50 percent of the funds for tuition and fees for one or more
academic years while enrolled in the college; and
(3) meets any additional qualifications adopted by the
committee.
(b) A person enrolled as a student in an accredited college
of veterinary medicine located outside of this state may apply
under Subsection (a) to participate in the program if the student
graduated from a high school located in this state or a general
academic teaching institution located in this state.
Sec. 56.105 [88.625]. RURAL SPONSORS; AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT. (a) A community or political subdivision
located in a rural county that qualifies under the rules of the
committee may become a sponsor of an eligible participant and may
provide financial support to the eligible participant under the
program.
(b) To participate as a sponsor in the program, the
community or political subdivision must enter into an agreement
with the eligible participant to provide financial support to the
eligible participant in an amount not less than the tuition and fees
required for a full academic year for a student enrolled in the
college in exchange for the eligible participant's agreement to
practice veterinary medicine in the sponsoring community or
political subdivision.
(c) Financial support under this section:
(1) may be provided in whole or part by a grant,
scholarship, or funds provided by a private foundation; and
(2) shall be deposited in the account [fund] for
distribution to the eligible participant [by the university].
Sec. 56.106 [88.626]. FINANCIAL SUPPORT; COMMITMENT TO
PRACTICE IN RURAL COUNTY. (a) To participate in the program, an
eligible participant must enter into an agreement with the
university system that:
(1) requires the participant to practice veterinary
medicine in a rural county for one calendar year for each academic
year for which the participant [student] receives financial support
under the program;
(2) specifies the conditions the participant must
satisfy to receive financial support under the program;
(3) provides that any financial support the
participant receives under the program constitutes a loan until the
participant satisfies the conditions of the agreement; and
(4) requires the participant to sign a promissory note
acknowledging the conditional nature of the financial support
received under the program and promising to repay the amount of the
financial support, any applicable interest, and reasonable
collection costs if the participant does not satisfy the conditions
of the agreement.
(b) The financial support received by an eligible
participant under this subchapter must be used to retire student
loan debt or to pay tuition and fees to the university system while
the eligible participant is enrolled in the college.
(c) Financial support from the account [fund] shall be
awarded as a lump sum payable:
(1) to both the participant and the lender or other
holder of the affected loan; or
(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the
affected loan on the participant's behalf [in the form of grants].
SECTION 3. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter OO, and a heading is added to that subchapter to read as
follows:
SUBCHAPTER OO. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM ACCOUNT
SECTION 4. Section 88.627, Education Code, is transferred
to Subchapter OO, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act,
redesignated as Section 61.9965, Education Code, and amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 61.9965 [88.627]. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE
PROGRAM ACCOUNT [FUND]. (a) The Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board shall administer the rural veterinarian
incentive program account in accordance with Subchapter G, Chapter
56, to provide assistance in the repayment of student loans for
eligible veterinarians who apply and qualify for the assistance
under the rules of the Texas Animal Health Commission rural
veterinarian incentive program committee.
(b) The rural veterinarian incentive program account [fund]
is an account [a special fund] in the [state treasury outside the]
general revenue fund.
[(b)] The account is composed [fund consists] of:
(1) [legislative appropriations for purposes of the
program,] gifts, grants, [donations, the market value of] in-kind
contributions, or real or personal property contributed to the
account from any individual, group, association, or corporation or
the United States, subject to limitations or conditions set by law,
for the purposes of this subchapter;
(2) earnings on the principal of the account; and
(3) other amounts [sources of revenue] deposited to
the credit of the account, including:
(A) money deposited from a community or political
subdivision that qualifies under the rules authorized by Section
56.105 to become a sponsor of an eligible participant under the
program; and
(B) legislative appropriations deposited to the
account [fund by the university].
(c) Money and resources in the account shall be made
available and payable as soon as practicable at the request of the
Texas Animal Health Commission and may be used only for the
following purposes:
(1) to provide financial support as a lump sum to an
eligible participant under Subchapter G, Chapter 56, the lender or
other holder of the participant's affected loan, or the
participant's university system;
(2) a reasonable amount, not to exceed seven percent
of the account value, to cover the costs of administration of the
program; or
(3) a reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent
of the account value, as specifically required for the coordinating
board for administration of the account [The fund shall be
administered by the university in accordance with rules adopted by
the committee. The university may use a portion of the money
deposited to the credit of the fund, not to exceed 10 percent of
that amount, for the administration of the program].
(d) The unexpended balance of the account at the end of a
fiscal year remains in the account subject to further appropriation
for the purposes described by Subsection (c).
SECTION 5. The heading to Subchapter I, Chapter 88,
Education Code, is repealed.
SECTION 6. On the effective date of this Act, any
obligations, rights, contracts, records, real and personal
property, funds, appropriations, and money of the rural
veterinarian incentive program are transferred from The Texas A&M
University System to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.